Sugar & Salt
by mrsmiawallace88
Summary: Belle and her family are moving to London. Little did she know what secrets the city has to offer. Will she be able to turn salt into sugar? Night into Day? Hate into Love? This is ClaudexOC romance with slight OOC-Claude later on!
1. Train ride

A chill breeze blew through the hall of the train station of Nottingham in the east midlands of England. The steam of the engine billowed and filled the air together with the voices of children chasing each other along the platform.

A young girl of twenty years sat silently on a bench and sketched in her journal, deep in her own little world and ignoring the busy commotion of the station. That was when a shadow fell over her and she frowned. She lifted her head and smiled as her father looked down at her with a warm expression on his face.

"You are so talented, my dear," he examined the drawing which showed a beautiful dress and added, "In London we will find a university for you to study fashion design."

Her eyes lighted up. "I can't wait to create my own dresses and maybe even sell them in stores,"she replied and closed her journal. She got up and placed a kiss on her father's cheek. "Tell me, where is mother?"

"She is already inside. The train will depart in half an hour, so we should get inside as well now. Come on, let me take your luggage," he took her suitcase and together they entered the train. "Belle, this is our cabin," her father called and signaled at a glass door to his right. She followed him inside and lowered down opposite her mother.

"Nottingham was a splendid city, don't you think?" Alice, her mother, said while her gaze drifted out of the window.

"It was indeed. Nothing compared to Paris, of course. That is why I am looking forward to start a new life in London," Adrien replied once he had stored Belle's suitcase and took a seat next to his daughter.

Belle revealed a small handheld mirror out of her bag and checked her hair. Its color was that of caramel and her eyes were blue like the ocean. She smiled and put the mirror away as the train finally began to move out of the station. The landscape outside was green and beautiful, speckled with small villages and farms.

"How long is the ride to London?" she asked curiously.

"According to the schedule it will be a three hour ride. You can try and catch some more sleep. You've been up quite early this morning," Adrien replied and checked his pocket-watch.

"I'd rather like to go and explore the train a bit. And I'm quite hungry," she got up and opened the door of their cabin. "I will be back soon."

She waved at her parents and closed the door again. She looked left, then right and finally checked the map of the train to find the way to the restaurant. Once she figured it out, she moved along the aisle. Watching the busy life inside the train made her feel even more excited to finally reach London. Even though she was born in a small town in the south of France, close to Spain, she preferred the big city life. Since her tenth birthday she and her parents had lived in Paris where she also went to school. They had lived in Nottingham now for one year until her father had found a job as a lawyer in London. That was why her family could afford a university for her as well once they would live in the city.

Without even realizing it, she had reached the restaurant section of the train. The scent of freshly baked waffles, coffee and tea hung in the air and made her stomach growl a bit. She had only eaten a scone for breakfast because she had been so excited to finally leave Nottingham. She stepped towards the man who stood behind a counter and studied the menu.

"Can you recommend something?"she asked and looked up into his emerald eyes. He might have been her age, maybe a few years older and she realized that he stared at her. She blushed a bit and let her gaze back to the menu. She knew about the effect she had on boys of her age and it made her feel uncomfortable whenever she felt their eyes on her. Even though her parents and friends told her how beautiful she was, she still felt like a wall-flower and not so beautiful at all. She sighed and pushed the menu away.

"I take a pot of—Earl Grey and four waffles with cream," she ordered and was relieved as the boy nodded silently and turned to prepare her food and drink. She turned around and let her gaze wander along the seats of the restaurant wagon. Many of them were unoccupied except the ones with a family of four—mother, father with a young boy and a young girl—as well as the elderly couple that was drinking tea and playing cards. The only other seat that was occupied, too, was that in the middle of the wagon. She could not see the face of the man for he wore a black top-hat and a coat with a high collar. He sipped almost delicately from his tea while two yellow birds sat in front of him. She smiled about that unlikely sight.

"Here you go, Miss," a voice pulled her out of her thoughts and made her wince for a second. She turned and saw that the boy had placed a pot of tea, a cup and a plate with waffles and cream on a tray in front of her.

"Thank you. How much is it?" she revealed her coin-purse.

"Oh, do not worry about that," he replied with a saucy grin on his lips. She sighed and shook her head before she placed twenty pound on the counter.

"I pay for my things, but thank you," she said with a wink and took the tray. She turned and ignored the offended look of the boy. Carefully she walked along the aisle, thinking about where to sit when suddenly two the children ran past her. Belle tried to steady the tray and hoped not to trip, but it was already too late. With a shriek she stumbled backwards, the tray slipping from her hands and with a thud she landed surprisingly soft. She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid of the sound of breaking porcelain that should follow. As nothing happened she carefully opened her eyes and saw that her tray was perfectly fine, being held by a gloved hand while she felt an arm around her waist.

She frowned as her heart was banging in her chest. Slowly she turned to look at her saviour. A pair of bespectacled golden eyes seemed to dive into the pool of her ocean-blue ones as they stared at each other for several seconds. Belle cleared her throat and pushed herself up from the man's lap and brushed over her white tunic, checking it for any stains.

"It is clean, do not worry," the man said and her gaze drifted to him again, now realizing that it was the one with the top-hat. She spotted the birds on the table and a smile curled her lips. He placed the tray on the table and offered her with a gesture of his white-gloved hand to take the seat opposite of him. Belle was a little uncertain, but then she decided that it would be safe enough. She lowered down on the comfortable seat and looked up at him again.

"Thank you for catching me. I should have seen it coming with those two rascals over there," she said and made a tired gesture towards the two children that ran past them and out of the restaurant.

"I did not catch you at all. You fell on me," he replied with the hint of a smile. "But you are welcome, my Lady."

"Oh, please, don't 'my Lady' me. My name is Belle Dupont," she said with a smile and poured the tea into her cup. "And what is your name?"

"Claude Faustus. I hear you are French?" he asked curiously while he stroked over the head of one of the birds with the tip of his finger.

"What gave me away? The name or the accent?" she chuckled and sipped from her tea. "And yes, I am originally from France. I was born close to the city of Bayonne where I lived the first ten years of my life. Then my parents and I moved to Paris and then, last year, to Nottingham. My father is a lawyer, a good one, and he now has work in London. That's where we are heading to now," she explained while cutting a piece of her waffle. Once she fell silent she pushed the fork into her mouth and sighed contently while munching on the soft waffle.

"Bayonne—that is close to Spain. I lived a long time in France and Spain—"he said and took his top-hat down to rearrange his raven-black hair.

"I like it, it is still my home, but England is so exciting and once we are in London I will go to the university and study fashion design," she said with a twinkle of enthusiasm in her eyes that seemed to amuse him for she saw the small smile on his lips again. And strangely she had the feeling that this was a rare sight on his face, for his expression was also very difficult to read because there was barely one at all. Yet, she could not deny that he was handsome. Hastily she pushed that thought aside and lowered her face a bit.

"Uhm—the birds, why are they here?" she finally asked after finishing one of her waffles. The birds hopped towards her and begged for some small crumbs. "Can I feed them?" she looked at him and earned a silent nod. She ripped a few pieces of waffle and placed the crumbs in front of the birds. The fluffy, yellow balls of feathers immediately pecked them and chirped happily. Belle chuckled and shook her head in utter amazement.

"They are like—friends. They go where I go," he replied and watched the tiny creatures as well.

"So, they are your pets? Do they have names?"

"No, they are not my pets. They are free to go whenever they like. I just enjoy their company whenever I have time for myself."

"Sounds like you live a busy life," she replied and looked him over carefully. He was neatly dressed and if she should guess she'd say he was a lawyer or maybe a banker.

"Not so busy after all. My master lives alone with just us servants. We are four—five if you count me in. I am the butler of Master Trancy," he explained as he saw her examining his clothing.

"A butler? I really thought you are working for a bank or as a lawyer,"she chuckled and blushed a bit. "Is your master travelling with you?"

He shook his head and cast a glance out of the window. "No, he is at home. You may have never heard of the Trancy manor, if I am not mistaken?"

"No, I have not that much knowledge of the high society families of London. Though it would be interesting to go and see a manor someday. It is big, isn't it?"

"It is, yes. And if you ever decide to visit us you just call us. My master enjoys having guests," he replied and revealed a small card on which she found a telephone-number as well as an address.

"Thank you. I will keep it in mind, but I think I should head back to my parents now. They might worry about my long absence. It was really a pleasure to talk with you," she got up and offered her hand towards him. He looked at her for a second before he finally took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

"Your company was a pleasure, Miss Dupont. Safe travel and who knows—maybe we will meet again one day."

"I hope we do," she chuckled as he let go of her hand. She scratched the heads of the birds one last time and left the restaurant, heading back to the cabin where she found her parents reading in some books.

"You've been gone for a long time," her mother looked up from her book.

Belle lowered down on her window seat and smiled at her mother. "I was in the restaurant and had some tea and waffles. I met a friendly man and we talked for a while. He is a butler of an Earl or something. At least, he lives in a big manor somewhere in London or close to London. I have a card, here," she revealed the card and handed it to her father who had looked up from his book and examined the card.

"Alois Trancy—I never heard that name," he said.

"Oh, he is the head of that manor. I met his butler, Claude Faustus and he invited me to come and visit the manor sometime. Isn't that wonderful?" Belle said with that typical twinkle in her eyes that always showed up whenever she was excited about something.

Her mother cocked an eyebrow and examined her daughter's face carefully. "It seems London has already caught you in its spider web," she chuckled and hid behind her book again. Adrien handed the card back to Belle and continued to read as well.

Belle traced along the edge of the card and smiled absently. Yes, London would be the perfect place for her, she was certain about that. She pushed the card back into her bag, leaned her head against the cool window and dozed off for the rest of the way.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I love Claude just as much as I love Sebby and that's why I decided to write a Claude romance, too! I try to keep Claude in character as long as possible, but I am a hopeless romantic so please don't kill me once it will become a bit OOC ^^**


	2. Yes, your Highness

Belle smiled brightly upon entering her new home for the first time. Her room was painted in a soft hue of lilac with a beautiful canopy bed on one side, a dresser, wardrobe and a window on the other side. Via another wooden door, she found her very own bathroom with a marbled tub in the middle.

"This looks wonderful," she exclaimed and placed her suitcase on her bed and left her room again. She would have enough time to unpack her belongings once she had seen the rest of their new house.

She headed downstairs and found her parents in the living room which was quite big and very comfortable with a fireplace on one side and a big window with a splendid view outside into the garden.

"You like our new home, I see?" Adrienne chuckled as he sipped from a glass filled with a golden liquid which was clearly whiskey. He watched his daughter while she cast a glance out of the window.

"I never imagined that it could be so splendid. It is even better than our house in Paris," she turned around and sent him a merry smile. "Do you think I should call the Earl of Trancy?" she asked and fumbled with a ribbon on her dress.

"You have met his butler mere hours ago, my child. You cannot be certain if he is already back in his mansion and even if so—you shouldn't be too enthusiastic. He might not even think about you anymore," Alice looked up from her knitting and seemed to chide her daughter with one look. A look Belle knew all too well.

"How can you say something like that? Claude was really charming," she replied and lowered down in the armchair close to the fire.

"Even more reason to be careful. A charming man is not always what he pretends to be," her mother said and continued with her knitting.

"Oh, mother! Why can't you just be happy that I met someone friendly already? Maybe his master, Alois, is friendly as well and I can make friends with both of them," Belle crossed her arms in front of her chest and pouted.

"Don't be like this, Belle. Your mother and I are just worrying about you. And believe me, we are not the worst parents when it comes to that, and you know that very well. I am happy that you had a good conversation with that stranger on the train, but your mother is right. He might have been friendly because of the situation. I mean, you said you fell on him—what kind of man would he be if he would be unfriendly to you just because of that," her father added in an attempt to calm her down.

"You mean to say he just pretended to be friendly and that he was annoyed by me instead?" Belle's eyes grew wide and she could not believe that was true. "You know what? I don't care what you think. I will go and unpack my suitcase and once I'm done with that, I will try and call that Earl and who knows—maybe I will dine with them soon."

And with that she got up and left the living room. Shall they think what they want—she knew it was the right thing. And now while she was thinking about Claude again, she couldn't help but smile again. She giggled and closed the door to her room behind her.

* * *

"Hannah! Come here!"

The maid sighed heavily and moved along the hallway. Without knocking she entered the study of Alois. The blonde boy sat behind his monstrous mahogany desk, his feet on top of it while his blue eyes scanned the maid.

"Yes?" she asked and stepped closer towards the desk.

"I am hungry! When will Claude be back?" he asked quite annoyed and started playing with a pencil.

"He will be back once the train arrives in London," she replied and winced as the pencil came flying towards her and missed her eyes just mere inches.

"Watch your tongue! Leave me alone, you are useless like a pig," he grumbled and watched her leaving the room. He sighed and leaned his head back, stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. He was bored, just like every day, but during his butler's absence those past days he was even more bored. He needed some entertainment and he needed it urgently.

That was when the phone rang and made him wince for a second as he stared at it. A grin was plastered on his face as he reached for it. Before his hand touched the phone, a gloved hand reached for it and picked it up. Alois gasped and looked up into the golden eyes of his butler, whose glasses flashed as the light of the afternoon sun broke in them.

"Claude—"the young boy breathed surprised.

The butler picked up the phone and said in his calm and emotionless voice, "Trancy Manor, you're speaking with head-butler Claude Faustus, what can I do for you?"

Alois watched him curiously as he was aware of a light twinkle in his butler's eyes.

"Uhm—hello, I don't know if you remember me. I'm the girl from the train, Belle Dupont."

Claude shifted, turned his face away from his master. "I do remember you. We met only hours ago. So, I suppose you made a decision?"

"Yes, I—I hope I'm not too straight forward, but I am very interested to dine with you and your master sometime," she replied and Claude sensed her uncertainty which made his lip curl just into the hint of a grin. He turned around towards Alois again before he replied,

"My master would like to meet you as well, Miss Dupont. If you are free tomorrow, a carriage will pick you up and bring you to the mansion in the evening. Does five o'clock sound suitable to you?"

Alois frowned and leaned with his elbows onto the desk, placed his head into the palms of his hands while he listened intently. Whatever this was about, he had the feeling that Claude was mocking him.

"That sounds fine. I will be ready tomorrow at five. I'll see you then," and with that Belle had hung up the phone before the butler could reply anything else. Claude placed the phone down wordlessly and looked at his master.

"What was that about?" Alois finally asked and got up from his armchair. "And since when are you back?"

"I returned just now and this was someone I met on the train today. A young girl, twenty of age and willing to visit us and dine with you," Claude replied.

"Why would a woman of her age want to dine with me? What are you planning, Claude?"

"I thought you might need some company. Was that not to your liking?" he stepped closer and began nestling at the boy's shirt buttons to button them correctly. "What would you do without me? Not even able to button your shirts right," he said and earned a scowl. Alois slapped his hand away and turned to look out of the window.

"Are you sure that you invited her because of me, Claude?" he asked and cast a glance back over his shoulder, a cheeky grin on his lips.

"Why else?"

"Is she beautiful?"

Claude remained silent. He had not the intention to talk about Miss Dupont like that in front of his master. As he still gave no answer, Alois turned around and stepped closer again.

"You will never have someone else but me, is that clear? I forbid you to take a shine on that girl," he buried his finger into the butler's chest. "Do you understand?" he hissed.

Claude looked down on him, hiding his annoyance and disgust. Finally he placed his hand on his chest and bowed a bit.

"Yes, your Highness."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews so far! Don't hesitate to drop some nice words after reading. :) I promise next chapter will be longer, this one now was just a little filler. **


	3. One dinner, two offers

The afternoon sun stood already low at the horizon while dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

Claude stood silently in the dining hall of the Trancy Manor and let his gaze drift along the table which he had just finished decorating a couple of moments ago. With a satisfied sigh he checked his pocket-watch. Half past four. One and a half hour left until Belle would arrive at the mansion. While Thompson and Timber were helping Hannah in the kitchen, he had ordered that Canterbury would take the carriage and pick her up from home soon.

"Impatiently waiting for our guest?" Alois' voice rang through the hall as the boy ran down the flight of stairs and twirled around his butler. "What was her name again?" he stopped in front of him and watched him with a curious twinkle in his icy-blue eyes.

"Her name is Belle Dupont. She is twenty years of age, as I already mentioned yesterday, and she just moved to London from Paris with her parents. She is a skillfull artist, at least that's what she said, and she wants to study fashion design at the university," Claude replied as if he had practiced that speech the whole day already. He moved towards the table and rearranged one of the vases which was filled with the beautiful pink flowers that grew in the garden of the mansion and which he had picked all by himself in the morning.

"An artist? Do you think she can create some fine clothes for me?" Alois asked amused and watched his butler carefully. "She could come here more often then. Would that be to your liking, Claude?"

Claude remained silent; his gloved fingers lingered on the flowers for a moment. "I won't reply to such foolish assumptions," he said and turned to look at the young boy, his glasses flashed for a second in the light of a torch hanging at the wall.

"You remember what I told you, right?" Alois stepped closer towards him, a threatening glance clearly visible in his eyes. A glance Claude had to fight back the urge to slap that boy.

"I always remember your words. And if you'll excuse me now, I still have several other chores to do before Be-Miss Dupont arrives," he bowed courteously and silently chided himself as he realized that her name nearly slipped from his lips in front of the boy.

"Do whatever you want," Alois giggled and clapped into his hands quite cheerfully. "Olé!" he called and ran up the flight of stairs again and vanished out of the butler's sight.

* * *

Raindrops covered the window and the wind howled almost threateningly outside while Belle checked her pocket-watch. She paced up and down the entry hall and stopped in front of the mirror hanging at the wall.

She had decided to keep her long, auburn hair straight and open. It fell almost gracefully over her shoulders. She wore one of her favorite dresses made of silk. It was ruffled and colored in midnight blue and white. Her boots were made of black leather.

"It is nearly five...the carriage should arrive any moment," she mumbled and cast a glance out of the window.

Her mother approached her with a thoughtful look on her face. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed heavily. "You are too impatient, my dear."

Belle turned around. "I am just so curious where the Earl of Trancy lives. His house must be much bigger than ours. I mean, he has servants and a butler..."

Alice did not miss the twinkle in her daughter's eyes upon mentioning that mysterious butler. She still did not trust that whole invitation, but she would not dare tell Belle again for they had had a fight already earlier in the morning. Arguing with her daughter was a tiresome thing once Belle had set her mind on something. She could be just as stubborn as her father.

The sound of hooves and the creaking of tires sounded up from outside and a smile curled the young woman's lips as she saw a carriage that was pulled by a beautiful black mare. On the driver's seat she spotted a young man with purple hair and ruby colored eyes. She had never seen eyes like that and in combination with the color of his hair she was even more excited. The household of the Earl seemed to contain only fair looking people.

Belle was just about to open the door when suddenly her mother pulled her closer and cupped her cheeks. "Be careful, Belle. If anything appears strange to you, leave and come back immediately. Don't stay if you don't feel comfortable. And please, don't..."

"Mom, it's just a dinner and maybe some nice conversation. I will be back soon. And I promise to be careful," she placed a kiss on her mother's cheek and finally turned away and opened the door. The young man looked at her curiously and nodded shortly towards her as she approached the carriage.

"Good evening to you, sir," she said and smiled at him, but he just jumped down from the seat, opened the door of the carriage wordlessly and waited patiently for her to enter. She frowned and climbed inside. Once she lowered down on the soft, red cushions, the door was closed again and the horses moved forward. Belle waved towards her mother before she leaned back against the seat. With each mile they drove, her excitement grew more and more.

* * *

Belle's eyes grew wide as she stepped out of the carriage and stood in front of the huge mansion.

"That's incredible," she breathed and cast a glance at the driver who gestured her wordlessly to follow him up the flight of stairs that was leading them towards a wooden double door. Once they reached the top of the stairs, the door swung open and Belle looked up at the butler, a surprised smile curled her lips.

"I didn't know you're that tall," she chuckled and stepped towards him.

"How could you? I was sitting during our first meeting," he replied almost playfully and gestured her to step inside. His gaze drifted along her body while she walked past him and finally she turned towards him again.

"Welcome to the Trancy manor, Miss Dupont," he said and helped her out of her coat, his breath caught for a second as he saw her beautiful dress. He counted silently until five and tried to remain as calm as usual while he placed her coat on the coat rack. "My master already awaits you in the dining hall. I'll show you the way."

"This place is so magnificent, I really wish I could stay longer than just one evening so I can explore every corner of it," Belle said amazed while she followed him along a wide hallway and finally they stepped into the dining hall.

Her jaw dropped slightly open as she saw the decorations, the chandeliers and the long table in the middle. That was when she spotted the young boy getting up from his chair and approached her with a curious and cheerful smile on his face.

"Claude, you could've told me how beautiful she is!" he called and sent a mocking look at his butler. Belle blushed a bit and bowed slightly towards the boy.

"You must be Earl," she said and sent him a smile.

"I am, indeed. Alois Trancy and you must be Belle Dupont. Such a pleasure to host you tonight. My butler had really outdone himself to make this evening to your full satisfaction, right Claude?"

"Indeed, I did. Dinner is almost ready to be served. I'd suggest the two of you take your seats and I'll be back in a minute," Claude replied calmly, ignoring all the mocking of his master. Belle frowned and turned to look at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Aren't you going to dine with us?" she asked after she had spotted only two sets of porcelain on the table.

Alois giggled amused. "He's the butler. I don't dine with my servants. Come, let's sit down and you can tell me more about your fashion," he said and grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.

"Oh...uhm, yes, certainly," she chuckled and followed him with a quick glance over her shoulder towards Claude. He nodded shortly towards her and turned away leaving the dining hall.

"Now tell me, Belle, what kind of fashion do you design?" Alois asked once they sat at the table. He sat at the head of it while she was placed on the seat to his left.

"Mostly such dresses like the one I'm wearing tonight. This isn't mine, though. My dresses only exist on paper so far. I never sewed one on my own, but I hope to be able to do that once I go to the university."

"Do you only want to make dresses for women?"

"I highly doubt a man would want to wear dresses," Belle replied jokingly and earned a laugh from the boy.

"Who knows? London's full of strange people," Alois said and still giggled as Claude entered the hall again. Wordlessly he placed the food in front of them. It was a composition of freshly baked salmon bedded on green asparagus and potatoes with rosmary.

"That looks delicious. Did you cook it?" Belle asked and looked up at him, her blue eyes twinkled as they met his golden ones for a second.

"I did, yes. And I hope that it is to your liking, B-Miss Dupont," he replied and mentally slapped himself once more.

"I'm sure it's very tasty," she said and sent him a sweet smile. Alois cleared his throat and signaled Claude to leave them. The butler bowed silently and left the hall once more.

He had no idea what Alois and Belle were talking about and deep inside he already wished that his master offered her to create clothings for him. There must be a chance to speak with her alone sometime; a chance to get to know her better.

Stepping out of the mansion, he lowered down on the stone bench close to the fountain and looked up towards the sky. Myriads of stars already covered the black blanket of the night-sky when suddenly he heard soft footsteps approaching him carefully.

"Uhm...Claude?" her voice filled the air like a sweet melody and made him smile for a second before he turned to look at her.

"Where is the young master?" he asked curiously and cast a glance around.

"He felt quite tired now. We talked two hours, mostly about my fashion. Can you imagine that he offered me to create some clothes for him someday? That's so exciting!"

A broad smile was plastered on her face while her gaze drifted along the garden. Even though it was dark outside, the light of the moon and the stars were lighten it up partly and gave her a brief impression of its sheer size.

"So he left you alone now?" Claude asked and stepped closer towards her.

"That's fine, he said I should go and talk to you if I'd like to. And, to be honest, I was happy about that. I mean, Alois seems to be a friendly boy and it's nice that he is interested in my work...but I also came here to...to...well, what are you doing out here alone?" she asked and pushed her hair behind one ear.

"I enjoy being out here. The silence, the beauty of the night," he replied, his gaze still fixed on her. He saw a light blush on her cheeks as she was aware of his gazing. "Have you seen the flowers on the table?"

"Yes, they looked lovely. Where did you get them?" she asked curiously.

"They grow over there," he gestured towards a bush nearby where she spotted the same flowers. "I picked them this morning. I thought you might like them."

She blushed a bit more and turned away to look around the rest of the garden. "And...and what else do you do in your free time?"

"Believe it or not...but I dance quite often," he replied and bit back a smile as she giggled and cast another glance at him.

"And what kind of dance?"

"I can dance any dance, but I enjoy tapdance. And flamenco."

"Oh, I remember, you said you lived in Spain for a while. I never learned to dance, unfortunately."

Claude stepped closer towards her again. Belle fumbled nervously with a ribbon at her dress as she realized how close he already was.

"Would you like to learn it sometime?"

"Tapdance?" she giggled.

"Any dance you like," he breathed and suddenly stepped away from her again as if he just realized what he was doing. No matter how annoying his master was, but he had forbidden him to take a shine on her. Which he wasn't doing anyway. He was not taking a shine on her. He cleared his throat and drove his hand through his pitch-black hair.

"It is late already. You should head home again. I'll prepare the carriage," he said and walked past her.

"Right..." she mumbled and followed him inside again.

Once Canterbury had brought the carriage again, Claude helped her into her coat. For just a short moment they both lingered in that position, his gloved hands placed on her shoulders while he stood behind her.

"The offer with the dance lessons...was that serious?" she asked and turned around to look up at him.

"I should ask the young master for permission, but if he is fine with that I will let you know," he replied calmly.

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Claude. For that wonderful evening. Tell Alois that I'll think about his offer, too."

Carefully, almost as if he feared to break her, he took her hand and lifted it up to his lips. Light as a feather was the kiss he placed on her knuckles before he opened the door for her.

"Good night, Miss Dupont," he whispered.

"Good night, Mister Faustus," she replied teasingly and left the mansion again.

Once the carriage had vanished, Claude closed the door and turned around. No matter what Alois might say...he would make it happen to see her again.

* * *

**A/N: Gosh, I worked for almost a week on that chapter, because I had a massive writer's block somehow. Well, I hope you still enjoyed this chapter and don't hesitate to leave a friendly review! **


	4. Let's dance

After two weeks since they had moved to London, Belle's first day at university finally came.

The day was warm and lovely and the young woman was quite anxious if everything would go well and if she would find friends and all in all if she would be good enough for the classes she had chosen. Even though she was good in sketching clothes, but she never even sewed some and therefore she fumbled nervously with a ribbon at her sky-blue dress while she was waiting for a carriage that would bring her to the university.

"I am so proud of you, my love," Adrienne said as he stepped out of the house, ready to head to work. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled at her.

She returned a nervous smile at him. "Thank you, daddy. I just hope everything will be fine. I am so nervous."

"Ah, there's no need to worry! You are good and your professors will see that. Oh, there's a carriage," he waved the driver to pull over.

The horses stopped with a quiet snort as the carriage stopped at the roadside. Belle fumbled in her pocket to pay the driver, but her father placed his hand on her arm and shook his head.

"I'll pay that today. Keep your money for lunch later," he revealed some coins and handed them to the driver who took it silently. "Bring her safely to the university," Adrienne added and earned a nod from the driver.

"I'll be off then. Have a wonderful day at work, dad," Belle hugged him tightly and turned to climb into the back of the open carriage. Her father waved at her as the horses moved on down the street.

* * *

It was just again one of those dull and boring mornings in the mansion of Trancy. While the young boy was still asleep in his soft cushions, Claude used those silent moments to head outside and spent some time in the garden.

A group of yellow bird flew busily around him, some of them lowered down on his shoulders while the butler started crocheting a white doily. His gloved fingers worked almost gracefully, like a spider spinning its web.

His gaze drifted towards the bush of pink flowers as one of the birds picked a beautiful blossom and landed on the table right in front of him.

"A flower of such rich beauty," he said and picked it up. Carefully, he lifted it up and pressed it gently against his nose.

An absent smile curled his lips and his eyes closed while he inhaled the scent of the flower. A scent that reminded him of someone. Someone he had last seen a fortnight ago.

Maybe he should convince his young master to invite her again. To take measurements for his clothes—and for a dinner and maybe even a dance.

"Claude?"

He winced ever so slightly as Thompson's voice reached his ear.

"What's the matter?" he asked the young man with hair of rich purple color.

"I just came to inform you that it is nearly time to wake up the master."

Claude checked his pocket-watch which showed half past eight. He was surprised. Did he really spend so much time outside? And what did he do? Crocheting and thinking about that girl again. Belle Dupont, a girl that fascinated him in a way he never experienced before even though they barely know each other. And what confused him even more was the fact, that he couldn't really explain what exactly it was about her that made him want to spend as much time with her as possible.

'_Damn that little brat,'_ he thought once he reached his masters bedroom where he looked down at the blonde boy who was still slumbering. It could be so easy—he just had to reach over and end his life all and for once. But what would happen then? He might be relieved to get rid of his young master and surely he would find someone else soon enough, but what would he tell Belle?

'_She has nothing to do with this, so stop thinking about her now,'_ he chided himself silently and shook the blonde boy's shoulder.

"It's time to wake up, your Highness," he said and stepped towards the tray with tea to pour a cup for the boy.

Alois slowly opened his eyes and grumbled incoherently before he finally sighed and sat up in bed. He yawned and stretched before he took the cup of tea from Claude.

"What a wonderful morning it is, right?" the boy said amused and sipped from the tea. "Other than that tea. What is it? Cooked rain water?" he grumbled and tossed the cup at his butler. Claude caught it, the tea spilled on his white shirt. He counted silently until five before he placed the cup down and began rummaging in the wardrobe.

Alois sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for his butler to dress him up. As Claude knelt down in front of him to put on the knee highs, boy grinned almost diabolically. Once his butler was nearly finishing buttoning his shirt up, Alois reached down and ripped his shirt open again, buttons tearing and bouncing off the floor.

"Oh, I think my shirt is broken," he giggled and watched Claude for a moment, waiting for a reaction but the butler simply sighed and got up to fetch another shirt out of the wardrobe.

"Maybe we should give Belle a call. I'd really like to see if she is able to create some clothes for me. How about you give her a call today and invite her?" he added and saw Claude lingering at the wardrobe for a second.

"That seems to be a good idea. She still needs your measurements. If you wish, I will give her a call later," he finally replied and finished dressing the boy.

"I overheard the triplets last night. They talked about your odd behavior the past weeks. I heard they wondered why you offered our lovely guest to invite her to teach her dancing someday," Alois got up and strolled towards the high window and cast a glance outside into the garden.

"The triplets talk much when the days are long. You should not give much about that," Claude replied calmly and went to leave the room again.

"Stop! I'm not finished, yet," Alois yelled as he spun around to glare at his butler who just stopped at the door and looked back at the boy expectantly.

"I want you to call Belle today and invite her for dinner tonight," the boy said with a cheeky grin on his lips. "You may teach her dancing, but if I hear or see that you do anything else—and with anything else I mean that you touch her longer than necessary or even kiss her—"

"I don't have the intention to do so, your Highness," Claude replied with a blank expression, perfectly hiding his boiling inner self just like always.

"Good, I still don't get your intentions with her anyway, but I now have your word and so—go and call her," Alois waved dismissively. Claude nodded shortly and left the room.

'_I wish I knew what my intentions are, too,'_ he thought confused and headed down the hallway.

* * *

"Mom? I'm home!"

It was early afternoon when Belle arrived home again after her first day at the university. The day had been exciting and she had the chance to do a lot of new sketches. One of her newest had caught the interest of her professor the most—a ruffled, black dress with golden ribbons around the waist.

She thought back to the moment when her professor had seen it and complimented her. It was by then that she realized that she had been quite absent while sketching it, one particular pair of golden eyes always on her mind which now were quite present in the golden ribbons around the dress.

"How was your first day, my love?" Alice called from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner already. The house smelled mouthwateringly from the scent of baked salmon, sprouts and potatoes seasoned with rosemary and garlic.

"It was so wonderful and fun," Belle replied and stepped into the kitchen, placing a kiss on her mother's cheek and snatched an apple from the bowl on the table. "We sketched a lot and learned about different clothing styles and fabrics. And a bit theory of colours," she added before she bit into the apple.

"Sounds like a really nice day. And when will you be sewing your first dress?" her mother asked curiously while checking on the salmon in the oven.

Belle shrugged. "I don't know. They said first we have to learn a bit of the theory and then we will be able to start creating something on our own."

She threw the core of the apple into the trash-bin and washed her hands. Suddenly, the phone rang in the hallway.

"Honey, would you pick it up please?" Alice said and kept on working at the kitchen counter.

Belle left the kitchen and hurried to the phone. A bit out of breath she picked it up. "House Dupont?" she breathed and waited for an answer. Someone cleared his throat at the other end of the phone.

"Belle?"

She knew immediately that it was _him._ A broad smile was plastered on her face; the fingers of her free hand began to play with the cord of the phone.

"Yes, it's me. It's been a long time, Claude," she said almost too sweetly and she immediately chided herself silently.

"A fortnight, yes. You might wonder why I'm calling you now. My master, Alois, would like me to invite you to the mansion tonight for having dinner, taking his measurements and—well, he gave the permission that I can teach you how to dance."

Her heart started banging rapidly in her chest and even her cheeks flushed a bit. Her free hand now drove through her long, caramel hair.

"I—I'd really love to, but I should ask my parents first," she stuttered a bit and felt even more ashamed for her odd behavior.

"You have our number. Call back once you know a final answer," he replied calmly.

"Yes, I will call you back. And thank you for inviting me. Bye, Claude," she said hastily and hung up the phone.

'_Go on and embarrass yourself even more,'_ she grumbled silently and tried to steady her heavy breathing while she went back to the kitchen. She knew it would not be easy to get the permission from her mother.

"Who was it?" Alice asked sitting at the table and drinking a cup of steaming hot tea.

Belle brushed her dress and smiled uncertainly. "It was Claude," she began and saw her mother rolling her eyes.

"What did he want?"

"He—no, his master, Alois Trancy, invited me for dinner tonight. You remember, I promised him to create clothes for him sometime and I still need to take his measurements and that's why he wants me to come to his mansion later tonight," she explained while sitting down in front of her mother.

Alice nipped carefully from the tea and watched her daughter intently. Belle still fumbled with a ribbon on her dress.

"That really means a lot to you, right?"

The young woman nodded with a weak smile. Finally, Alice sighed in defeat.

"Fine, you may go—"

Belle squealed and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best mother in the world!"

Alice chuckled and stroked her daughter's hair. "But I want that you call us if you need longer or—even stay overnight."

Belle blushed a bit and giggled, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. "Stay overnight? Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, but like I said—call if you will," Alice patted Belle's cheek and went to continue preparing dinner. Belle watched her for a moment and finally left the kitchen. She had a phone call to make.

* * *

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Claude said upon taking her coat once Belle arrived at the Trancy mansion.

She smiled brightly at him. "I really missed this place."

"Hard to believe anyone would like to return once been here," Claude mumbled more to himself and earned a confused look from her. It was a look that lifted one corner of his mouth into the hint of a smile. He waved dismissively.

"Never mind, follow me. Alois is waiting for you in the lounge," he gestured her to follow him.

"Will you dine with us today?" she asked almost too hopefully. She blushed as she was aware that he cast a thoughtful glance at her.

"To be honest—you will just take his measurements and then we will dine together. You and me."

She blinked multiple times in surprise. "J-just you and-and me?"

"He planned to retire for the night quite early today. So, we will have dinner and then I'll teach you how to dance," he said calmly and pushed the door to the lounge open. "Your Highness, Miss Dupont has arrived," he said and let her step inside the room.

"And the room shines brighter upon her arrival," Alois chuckled and reached for Belle's hand, squeezing it a bit as he winked at her quite cheekily. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation. Or should I say: Claude's invitation?"

She blushed a bit and cast a quick glance at the butler who remained silent for a moment until he turned away, "I still have some chores in the kitchen. I will return once dinner is ready to be served," he said and earned a warm smile from Belle. He lingered a moment longer, aware that his master's face fell ever so slightly and so he hastily left the room. He could not risk that this evening would end sooner than expected.

Alois linked his arm with hers and pulled her with him to the plushy sofa in front of the fireplace. He smiled at her as they lowered down on it.

"I like your dress. Do you think you could make something similar like this just for boys?" he asked and looked her over carefully.

She looked down at herself with a confused smile. She wore a silky light-pink dress with a close fitting, narrow and elliptical cage crinoline with petticoat fluff and a line of cream and light-pink colored flowers around her waist.

"Thank you, but—well, I guess I can try making something similar for boys but I suggest making it a different color. Pink doesn't suit you, trust me. I think you're more the green, white and aubergine-colored type," she said thoughtfully and giggled quietly. "I just learned the theory of colors in my first university class today and according to your hair and eye color you need a mix of both warm and cold colors, whereas the warm color should be dominated. That's why I suggest making your clothes mainly aubergine and forest-green. If that's fine for you, of course."

Alois chuckled. "You're the professional. I trust your creativity and your sense of fashion. And don't worry; I have enough money to pay you."

"I'm not doing this for the money. My main motivation is to get more hands-on experience," she replied with a smile.

He jumped up on his feet and spread his arms. "Well then, take the measurements you need and I'll await your first piece of clothes in a few weeks."

* * *

"Claude, that looks delicious!"

Belle smiled brightly while she watched him placing all the different delicacies on the table in the dining room once Alois had excused himself to retire for the night.

"I do hope that's all to your liking," he replied and lowered down opposite from her. "That's risotto with mushrooms and pork. And over there I created steaks, potatoes and as a dessert I made chocolate macrons with fruit filling."

"I'm quite speechless. Did you spend the whole day in the kitchen?" she asked while already filling her plate with a bit of everything.

"One might think so, but no—only the afternoon," he filled his plate as well. "I was in the garden this morning."

"I really wish to see the garden in daylight someday. It must look magnificent and full of beautiful, colorful flowers. That's how I imagine it to be," she chuckled and started eating a bit of the risotto. She sighed contently. "That tastes just as good as it looks and smells like," she said once she had swallowed.

A proud smile curled the butler's lips for a moment. Slowly he began to eat as well, never really taking his eyes off her. Every move of her was filled by an innocent grace, her hands so small and delicate and yet he knew they were just as skillful with a needle as his own. Her hair reminded him of sweet butterscotch. Whenever her eyes met his, he thought of the abyss of the ocean, blue like a sapphire and sparkling like the sky filled with myriads of stars.

She looked at him curiously while sipping from her glass of red wine. They held gaze for a moment until she quietly cleared her throat.

"You haven't tasted your food, yet," she gestured at his untouched plate filled with a steak and a bit of risotto. "It is really good. The cook had really outdone himself," she giggled and winked at him playfully.

He chuckled quietly and picked up some risotto and slowly pushed the fork in his mouth. He could see her eyes were quite fixed on his lips for a second and she blushed a bit once their gazes met again. He nodded with a playfully proud smile. "Indeed, the cook must be a professional. I should compliment him sometime."

Belle couldn't help but laugh about his cheeky reply. She took her napkin and brushed it over her lips for a second.

"So, you want to teach me how to dance?"

He nodded silently and cast a glance on his pocket-watch. "Unless it is too late for you."

"No, no it's fine. My mother just said I should call if it'll be later or—"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Or—what?"

"Well," she blushed again. "She said if it's too late it might be better to stay here. But it's fine, I don't have to."

"It wouldn't be a problem though," he said and got up. He surrounded the table and offered his gloved hand towards her. "The triplets will clean this off. We should do the dancing in the lounge."

She nodded and carefully placed her hand in his, her heartbeat increased ever so slightly upon feeling his fingers close around hers. She got up and linked her arm with his, feeling a strange but comforting warmth radiating around him. She smiled while he led her to a lounge, another one than the one she had been before with Alois.

He closed the door and turned the key around. "Just in case. A dance lesson should never be interrupted," he explained as he turned and saw her confused expression on her face.

"Right. So what dance will I learn first?" she asked and watched him expectantly. He went to the phonograph and within a few seconds the room was filled by a rather slow melody.

"You never danced before, so we should start with the basics and slow music," he explained and fumbled at his face until he turned around again. Belle really had to pull herself together not to gasp as she saw him without his glasses for the first time. The gold of his eyes was even more intense. She couldn't control it when suddenly a whole bunch of butterflies seemed to swirl through her stomach.

He stepped towards her again and offered his hand to her once more. "May I?"

She smiled uncertainly and placed her hand in his again. With a gentle move he pulled her closer, his other hand placed on her lower back. Her heart seemed to burst out of her chest as she looked up into the pool of molten gold.

"Relax and let me guide you," he whispered and made a step forward causing her to step backwards just to be pulled forward again which caused him to step backwards. They repeated these steps over and over again to the slow rhythm of the music.

"Don't look down. Your eyes should always be focused on your partner," he said amused and lifted her chin, made her look into his eyes again.

The sound of the music increased a bit more, made their movement become more fluid like two water-dancers who were captured in their own world of unspoken passion.

Finally the song faded and the bodies stopped moving again. Gold met sapphire again for what seemed to be an eternity until Belle stepped away from him. Much to her own surprise she felt a bit dizzy, aware that she had drunken three glasses of wine during their dinner.

"That was wonderful," she said with a merry smile and lowered down on the sofa near a fireplace in which Claude ignited a warm fire. She watched him with her head leaning into the palm of her hand while her elbow was placed on the armrest of the sofa.

"You are a quick learner with a fire burning in your soul," he replied and turned to look at her. He could see that she was tired. "If you would like to return home now—"

"What? No! I'd like to stay a bit longer. And you still have to show me some tap dancing," she chuckled and leaned back on the sofa. "The stage is yours," she giggled and gestured him to start.

He couldn't help but chuckle quietly while he went to the phonograph to play another song. It was a heavy melody slowly increasing in speed. He returned to the sofa and bowed in front of her before he finally began his dance. Belle watched him in awe, his legs moving in such perfection and the tapping of his shoes filled the room.

Suddenly she laughed and clapped into her hands while she got up and stepped towards him. He stopped dancing and watched her curiously, his hair quite ruffled. She smiled and took both of his hands with both of hers. With a confused frown he looked down to their hands and back up to her face. The fire he felt burning in her soul seemed to ignite something in his own body; something he had never felt before. He had no idea what it was—the only thing he knew was that he should fight it down before it would cause a mess.

"I'd like to try it, too, but you need to steady me," she said and squeezed his hands gently. Now he understood why she had taken them. He nodded encouragingly and smiled at her. With a deep breath, Belle started moving her feet, trying to remember what he had done with his just moments. He saw that she failed more than miserably but let her go on, unable to stop her burning enthusiasm.

Entranced by her sheer merry and carefree behavior, he didn't pay attention to her movements anymore. That was when suddenly she stumbled and fell against him with a squeak of surprised. They tumbled to the ground; Claude kept her close on top of him to protect her from the fall. She lifted her head to look at him, heavily panting. She laughed again and buried her face in his chest. His hand stroked carefully over the back of her head, his whole body unwilling to let this moment end.

After a few moments he was aware that she was surprisingly quiet. He looked down at her, hearing her soft breathing. He sighed heavily and leaned his head back to the ground again, uncertain what to do. He cast another quick glance at her sleeping quietly on top of him, her face placed on his chest that he decided to do the only right thing in this situation. The door was locked, no one else but he himself had the key to it and therefore he decided to stay just like this.

And so he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. The shadows of their bodies danced on the wall in the light of the fire until he put it out with a snap of his fingers, wrapping them both into the darkness of the night.


End file.
